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1976 in comics
This is a list of comics-related events in 1976. Events Year overall * American Splendor, Harvey Pekar's long-running autobiographical comic book title, publishes its debut issue. * Gerry Conway succeeds Marv Wolfman as Marvel Comics editor-in-chief mid-year, relinquishing the post before the year is out to Archie Goodwin. * Fantagraphics Books, Inc. founded by Gary Groth and Michael Catron. * Bloodstar, based on a short story by Robert E. Howard and illustrated by Richard Corben, published by Morning Star Press. It is possibly the first graphic novel to call itself a “graphic novel” in print.Bloodstar. (The Morning Star Press Ltd., 1976): "BLOODSTAR is a new, revolutionary concept — a graphic novel, which combines all the imagination and visual power of comic strip art with the richness of the traditional novel." * Chandler: Red Tide, an illustrated novel by Jim Steranko, published by Pyramid Books. * Flying Buttress Publications (later to be known as NBM Publishing) is founded in Syracuse, N.Y. by Terry Nantier. * Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, the first major intercompany crossover, is co-published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics. * With issue #7 (Fall issue), The Print Mint publishes the final issue of the underground/alternative anthology Arcade. January * Jenette Kahn replaces Carmine Infantino as DC Comics' publisher and editorial director. * DC revives All Star Comics with issue #58, continuing the numbering from the original 1940 series (ignoring the numbering from All-Star Western). Written by Gerry Conway, with art by Ric Estrada and Wally Wood. * With issue #244, DC revives Blackhawk, which began in 1957 and stopped publishing in 1968. * Marvel Super Action, a Curtis Magazines one-shot, edited by Archie Goodwin, is released. * Golden Comics Digest, with issue #48, canceled by Gold Key. February * Golden Age cartoonist Fletcher Hanks dies at age 88. * With issue #41 (February/March), DC cancels Phantom Stranger vol. 2. * With issue #5 (February/March), DC cancels Kong the Untamed. * With issue #2 (February/March), DC cancels Man-Bat. * Walt Disney Comics Digest, with issue #57, canceled by Gold Key. March * DC Comics raises the prices of its standard comics from 25 cents to 30 cents, keeping the page-count at 36. * Beowulf, Dragon Slayer, with issue #6, is cancelled by DC. * With issue #6 (March/April), DC publishes the final issue of the Joe Kubert reprint title Tor. * Warlord, with issue #2 (Mar./Apr. cover date), goes on hiatus until Oct./Nov. April * With issue #45, DC revives Metal Men, which itself was a 1973 revival of a 1963 series which had stopped publishing in 1969. * With issue #13, DC cancels 1st Issue Special. May * Vince Colletta named as DC Comics art director. * Doomsday + 1, with issue #6, canceled by Charlton (it is revived in 1978 as a reprint title). * Midnight Tales, with issue #18, cancelled by Charlton. June * Superman #300: "Superman, 2001!" — an imaginary story featuring a Superman who came to Earth in 1976 — by Cary Bates, Elliot S! Maggin, Curt Swan, and Bob Oksner. (DC Comics) * Star Spangled War Stories #200, featuring the Unknown Soldier and Enemy Ace, edited by Joe Orlando. (DC Comics) * The Incredible Hulk #200: "An Intruder in the Mind!" by Len Wein, Sal Buscema, and Joe Staton. (Marvel Comics) July * With issue #36, Marvel cancels the anthology title Astonishing Tales. August * Captain America #200: Special Bicentennial issue, by Jack Kirby and Frank Giacoia. * X-Men #100: "Greater Love Hath No X-Man..." by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum. * With issue #90, DC revives the title Green Lantern (calling it Green Lantern, co-Starring Green Arrow), which began in 1960 and stopped publishing in 1972. * With issue #24 (Aug./Sept.), DC cancels Swamp Thing vol. 1. September * The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, founded by Joe & Muriel Kubert, begins teaching its first class of students, some of whom include Stephen R. Bissette,Dahlen, Chris (July 23, 2009). "Interview: Steve Bissette". The A.V. Club. http://www.avclub.com/articles/steve-bissette,30751/. Retrieved April 10, 2010. Thomas Yeates, and Rick Veitch. * With issue #9 (Sept./Oct.), DC suspends publication of Claw the Unconquered; it picks up again with issue #10 in 1978. * With issue #9, DC cancels The Joker (Sept./Oct. issue). * With issue #5, DC cancels Blitzkrieg (Sept./Oct. issue). * Following DC's lead, Marvel Comics raises the prices of its standard comic book from 25 cents to 30 cents, keeping the page-count at 36. November * With issue #44, DC revives Teen Titans vol. 1, which began in 1966 and stopped publishing in 1973. * With issue #66 (Nov./Dec.), DC cancels Tarzan Family. * With issue #24 (Nov./Dec.), DC cancels the horror/humor anthology Plop! * With issue #39, Marvel cancels the anthology title Amazing Adventures vol. 2. * Jungle Action, with issue #24, is cancelled by Marvel. * Skull the Slayer, with issue #8, is cancelled by Marvel. * Marvel Feature vol. 2, with issue #7, is cancelled by Marvel. * With issue #6, Marvel cancels the Curtis Magazines science fiction anthology Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction. December * Marvel Comics launches its third ongoing Spider-Man series, Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider Man. Awards Eagle Awards Two British comics fans, Mike Conroy and Richard Burton, create the Eagle Awards, named after the fondly remembered 1950s comic title Eagle. The first set of awards are presented in 1977 for comics published in 1976: * Favourite Comic Book (Dramatic): Uncanny X-Men * Favourite Comic Magazine (Dramatic): Savage Sword of Conan * Favourite Team: Uncanny X-Men * Favourite Comic Book (Humor): Howard the Duck, by Steve Gerber * Favourite New Comic: Howard the Duck, by Steve Gerber * Favourite Single Comic Book Story: "Four Feathers of Death! : or Enter the Duck," Howard the Duck #3, by Steve Gerber and John Buscema * Favourite Continued Comic Story: Master of Kung Fu #48-51 by Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy * Favourite Comic Book Character: Conan the Barbarian * Favourite Comicbook Writer: Roy Thomas * Favourite Comics Writer (UK): Chris Claremont * Favourite UK Title: House of Hammer * Roll of Honor: Stan Lee First issues by title DC Comics Blitzkrieg : Release: January/February. Writer: Robert Kanigher. Artist: Ric Estrada. DC Super Stars: mostly reprint title. : Release: March. Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell. Four Star Spectacular: reprint title. : Release: March/April. Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell. Freedom Fighters : Release: March/April. Writers: Gerry Conway and Martin Pasko. Artists: Ric Estrada and Mike Royer. Isis : Release: Oct./Nov. Writer: Denny O'Neil. Artists: Ric Estrada and Wally Wood. Karate Kid : Release: March/April. Writers: Paul Levitz. Artists: Ric Estrada and Joe Staton. Kobra : Release: February/March. Writers: Jack Kirby, Steve Sherman, and Martin Pasko. Artists: Jack Kirby and Pablo Marcos. Ragman : Release: August/September. Writers: Bob Kanigher. Artists: Joe Kubert and Redondo Studio. Secret Society of Super Villains : Release: May/June. Writers: Gerry Conway. Artists: Pablo Marcos and Bob Smith. Starfire : Release: August. Writer: David Michelinie. Artist: Mike Vosburg. Super Friends : Release: November. Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell. Artists: Ric Estrada, Joe Orlando, and Vince Colletta. Warlord : Release: January/February. Writer/Artist: Mike Grell. Welcome Back, Kotter : Release: November. Writer: Elliot Maggin. Artists: Jack Sparling and Bob Oksner. Marvel Comics 2001: A Space Odyssey : Release: December. Writer: Jack Kirby. Artists: Jack Kirby and Mike Royer. Captain Britain Weekly : Release: October 13 by Marvel UK. Editor: Larry Lieber. Eternals : Release: July. Writer: Jack Kirby. Artists: Jack Kirby and John Verpoorten. Haunt of Horror : Release: May by Curtis Magazines. Editor: Roy Thomas. Howard the Duck : Release: January. Writer: Steve Gerber. Artists: Frank Brunner and Steve Leialoha. Nova : Release: September. Writers: Marv Wolfman. Artists: John Buscema and Joe Sinnott. Omega the Unknown : Release: March. Writers: Mary Skrenes and Steve Gerber. Artist: Jim Mooney. Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider Man : Release: December. Writer: Gerry Conway. Artists: Sal Buscema, Mike Esposito, and Dave Hunt. Independent publishers Action : Release: February 14 by IPC Magazines. Editor: Pat Mills. American Splendor : Release: by Harvey Pekar. Writer: Harvey Pekar. Bullet : Release: February by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. LaLa : Release: July by Hakusensha Storm : Release: Big Balloon (Dutch). Artist: Don Lawrence. Initial appearance by character name DC Comics * Atomic Skull (Albert Michael), in Superman #303 (September) * Black Spider, in Detective Comics #463 (September) * Blackrock, in Action Comics #458 (April) * Bumblebee (Karen Beecher), in Teen Titans #45 (December) * Calculator, in Detective Comics #463 (September) * Captain Stingaree, in Detective Comics #460 (June) * Codename: Assassin, in 1st Issue Special #11 (February) * Deborah Camille Darnell, in Secret Society of Super Villains #1 (May/June) * Duela Dent, in Batman Family #6 (July/Aug.) * Grimbor the Chainsman, in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #221 (November) * Isis, in Isis #1 (Oct./Nov.) * Kirt Niedrigh (Absorbency Boy), in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #218 (July) * Kobra, in Kobra #1 (February) * Machiste, in Warlord #2 (March) * Outsiders, in 1st Issue Special #10 (January) * Power Girl, in All Star Comics #58 (Jan./Feb.) * Ragman, in Ragman #1 (Aug./Sept.) * SKULL, in Superman #301 (July) * Leslie Thompkins, in Detective Comics #457 (March) * Tyroc, in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #216 (April) * Wendy and Marvin, in Super Friends #1 (November) * Tobias Whale, in Black Lightning #1 (April) Marvel Comics * Amphibian, in Avengers #145 (March) * Aron, in Captain Marvel #39 (July) * Black Talon (Samuel Barone), in Avengers #152 (October) * Black Tom Cassidy, in Uncanny X-Men #101 (October) * Blizzard (Gregor Shapanka), in Iron Man #86 (May) * Jamie Braddock, in Captain Britain Weekly #9 (September) * Dmitri Bukharin, in Iron Man #109 (April) * Bullseye, in Daredevil #131 (March) * Captain Britain, in Captain Britain Weekly #1 (October 13) * Captain Ultra, in Fantastic Four #177 (December) * Celestials ** Arishem the Judge, in The Eternals #2 (August) ** Exitar the Exterminator, in Thor #387 (July) ** Gammenon the Gatherer, in The Eternals #4 (October) * Condor, in Nova #2 (October) * Corruptor, in Nova #4 in (December) * Darkstar, in Champions #7 (August) * Jean DeWolff, in Marvel Team-Up #48 (August) * The Eternals, in The Eternals #1 (July) ** Ajak, in The Eternals #2 (August) ** Domo, in The Eternals #5 (November) ** Ikaris, in The Eternals #1 (July) ** Makkari, in The Eternals #1 (July) ** Sersi, in The Eternals #3 (September) ** Thena, in The Eternals #5 (November) ** Zuras, in The Eternals #5 (November) * Guardsman (Michael O'Brien), in Iron Man #82 (January) * Human Fly (Richard Deacon), in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #10 * Hurricane (Albert Potter), in Captain Britain #3 (October 27) * Jigsaw, in The Amazing Spider-Man #162 (November) * Shen Kuei, in Master of Kung Fu #38 (March) * Mirage, in The Amazing Spider-Man #156 (May) * Lilandra Neramani, in X-Men #97 (February) * Nova, in Nova #1 (September) * Psylocke, in Captain Britain #8 (December) * Rampage, in Champions #5 (April) * Amanda Sefton, in Uncanny X-Men #98 (April) * Star-Lord, in Marvel Preview #4 (January) Independent titles * Storm (Don Lawrence), in Storm References Comics